A review by bmadz
Shadows and Dreams by Matthew Cody

2.0

Really 2.5 stars. This is the first in a serial-style production of 15 episodes in the ReMade series. For a mere 36 pages, Matthew Cody (this episode's author, though a I gather not the author of every episode) manages to successfully build the foundation for a world (universe?) that has shaken off most of its resemblance to our own Earth. Until the last couple of pages, we aren't even fully aware of what has happened or where our protagonist, Holden, is.

Spoiler

The beginning pages took some time to acclimate to, and I would say that Holden is particularly relatable. Sure, he's the every-standard-teenage-boy-with-an-unrequited-crush model, but other than the trope, Cody fails to flesh him out. In fact, the subject of Holden's crush, Seyah, has more depth from our first encounter with her on the phone in a deserted parking lot. We can tell she's the quintessential popular girl in high school, but she's also clearly wary of being taken advantage of. She also reveals herself to be charming in the car, and multi-faceted on the journey to the Orbital Elevator - first insisting on rescuing Holden and then shutting him out when the immediate danger has passed. Unfortunately, Seyah isn't enough on her own to redeem the lack of depth in Holden thus far. The focus seems to be on setting the stage in this episode, so I can only hope that we get more character development to come.

Overall, the premise of this series is intriguing. The structure of its presentation is unique (being a serial) and it holds great promise. I find no fault in Cody's writing style, though I won't be quick to sing its praises either. This is certainly intended to be digestible, and that is what it accomplishes. As I am new to this style, I believe I am simply unaccustomed to this trait. However, I am confident that this is a post-apocalyptic story that will draw me in more and more as it unfolds; I will be subscribing.